The B.C. government has great ambitions to lead Canada in the adoption of electric vehicle (EV) sales, but those plans are about to run smack into softening demand, international tariff battles and a shortage of electricity.

Under its CleanBC plan and Zero-Emission Vehicle Act, the provincial government has laid out an ambitious plan to transition away from traditional gas-powered cars by mandating that by 2030, nine out of 10 light-duty vehicles sold in B.C. are zero-emission vehicles. That percentage is scheduled to increase to 100 per cent by 2035.

CleanBC is a dramatically ambitious plan, and the province is already leading Canada in the transition toward EVs, which accounted for more than 20 per cent of new electric vehicle sales across the country in 2023.

However, the trends and affairs of national and foreign governments are going to seriously challenge B.C.’s plans.

Large inventories of EVs currently sit on car dealer lots across B.C. According to AutoTrader.ca, nearly 5,000 EVs were put up for sale in B.C. during the week of May 13, 2024. In that same time period in 2023, the number was just 801.

The surge in EV inventories was the result of the auto sector’s post-pandemic rebound and the normalization of supply chains, but it........

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